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The building was insured, and Mueller has not yet applied for federal assistance in rebuilding. The congregation is still deciding considering its options, he said.

Meanwhile, the assistance has been opportunity for evangelism. "The fact that the larger body of Christ came in and lent so much help is showing people the side of Christianity some of them didn't know about," Mueller said. "A lot of the smaller churches from as far away as Pennsylvania have called to offer assistance. Our congregation has been working long hours every day just helping the community. I've become a lot better known. They see that I'm trying to help the community, working really hard, available for people, serving." Mueller said Emmanuel Christian now has more opportunities to reach out to the community than in the church's eight-year history there.

Emmanuel Christian Church moved to Harbison Canyon after a couple from the church moved their family to the rural community. Mueller said many people thought the couple was crazy to try and raise a family in the notoriously rough town. "The community used to have a bad reputation. It had a lot of police calls, drug activity, bikers, a nudist camp down the road, the bar scene." But Mueller said since the church bought a chapel, the community has become much more family friendly. Other families in the church also moved to Harbison.

Still, it has been a difficult place for the 90-member church to share the gospel. It is the only church in the town of about 400 residences, nearly 200 of which were destroyed in the fire. Mueller said, in that respect, the fire has had some positive effects. "It's a small community, but my take on it is that the Lord loves people in every nook and cranny on the earth. He loves them enough to send me here and our congregation to work among them. We're committed to rebuilding and taking advantage of the new relationships we have with members of the community that we didn't have formerly."

Despite the difficulties, Mueller said God has given him an opportunity to learn lessons he could not have otherwise learned. "What I preached the first Sunday after I got back was that the early believers suffered the loss of their property with joy, knowing they have a better possession. We're to be content with food and covering. Our life doesn't consist of the abundance of our possessions. My emphasis was that what's really valuable we still have intact and that's our relationship with the Lord. This is an opportunity to live out and walk through the Scriptures that say count it all joy."

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November (Web-only) 2003, Vol. 47